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THE KING’S BUSINESS
the path o f virtue and good to the celestial country; it wishes to instil in your hearts sentiments o f hate against the Church o f God, and the Catholic priests; it wishes to teach you a new Gospel, wrong, and explained according to their own fancies and ideas; it wishes to cast down your house? and the altar consecrated to the most holy Virgin' Mary, your mother, that you have loved from your infancy, in whom, after God, you put all your confi dence ; it wishes in effect, to tear- from your heart the devotion and the love to Mary, our refuge in the tribulations of life; it wishes to prohibit the worship o f saints, our protectors, our intercessors with God, our models o f virtue and holiness; it Wishes to rob you o f the treasure o f the Holy Sacraments, the powerful mediums that God has given us for our justification and salvation. “And what do these Protestants do to seduce the people ? They nearly always begin by speaking ill o f the Fathers, for as long as the people maintain their confi dence in the priests, the work o f those Protestant heralds is lost. Well they know this. For this reason they invent a thousand scandals, practised, as they lie, by the Catholics and especially by the priests. They walk about with Bible in hand say ing: ‘Behold the true Word o f God; the Catholic -Church adulterated the meaning. We, inspired by .the Holy Spirit, give the legitimate explanation? Oh, is the study o f the Bible not one o f the most difficult? How can they who have not the necessary preparation speak about and discuss a sub ject so delicate. ‘W e do not need either priests, or Pope. Let us do what the Word o f God says and we shall be saved’—the leaders o f this unhappy sect affirm. But the Word, o f God must be well explained, and not in such a way that each one has his own Gospel and no one has the truth. The only authority that can explain the Word o f God is the Catholic Church, instructed by Jesus Christ and commanded
to teach. The New Sect is not led by the Holy Spirit, but by the spirit o f fanaticism, contradiction and revolt. “Many are surprised when they learn that the New Sect believes in God and in our Lord. Catholics, the devil also believes in God and in our Lord. Faith, without works is dead ; faith, without the fulfilling o f the will o f God, without the observance o f His laws, cannot save us. Note the following well, my dear parishioners : The Protestants o f the New Sect are very knowing, as the serpent o f Eden that deceived the first woman. They know that with one drop o f honey you can catch more flies than with a whole barrel o f vinegar. They come with flatteries, speak wonder fully, converse amiably, seek to -awaken your curiosity to see their services, and thus they seek to gain your attention and delude your ignorance, counting to catch you in their net o f religious fanatacism. “ My dear parishioners, as your pastor, I raise my voice, which was never unat tended to by my flock. You may be certain that your pastor is not sleeping when he sees the hungry w olf approach the sheep. Do not listen to these preachers o f error! Do not fall victims o f your perilous curios ity! Do not accept the Bibles which they offer at a cheap price! Do not discuss with them about religious subjects! Above all, dò not attend their services ! Remem ber that the Catholic Church received you as sons by baptism! Remember that She alone is able to carry you to yòur eternal home. “Therefore, I assert: (1) The New Sect is not the Church o f Christ! (2) The New Sect neither satisfies the heart nor the intelligence! (3) The New Sect received no commandment to teach! (4) The New Sect has no Apostolic Ministry! (S) The New Sect has no Holy Sacra ments ! (6) The New Sect has not the doctrine o f Jesus Christ! (7) Thè New Sect is therefore a big lie !”
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